UN-Habitat is a strategic partner of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in promoting sustainable urban development. Since 1992, UN-Habitat has worked closely with the government, municipal and local authorities, especially Afghan communities, contributing to the physical and social reconstruction of the country. Our work has focused on assisting the government in the development of urban policies and regulations; strategic urban planning; increasing municipal revenue; establishing community-based organizations; addressing the land and housing needs of IDPs and returnees and contributing to the provision of basic urban services.

Country: Overview

Population (2022)
40 million

Country: Overview

Total value of projects
US$ 345,453,652

Country: Overview

No. of projects (2014 - 2023)
Total: 30

Impact

Country: Impact and Urban Numbers

Impact

Around $7 Million municipal fees collected in additional revenue for Kabul and other municipalities. 300,000 Municipal fee invoices distributed to residents of informal and formal urban areas.

Upgrade of 49 parks in 12 Afghan Municipalities.

Urban numbers

Country: Impact and Urban Numbers

Urban numbers

The urban population annual growth rate is 4.5%

The percentage of the total population that is urban is 25.25%

Challenges

Informality is not the exception but the rule. 80 % of urban Afghans live in informal areas. The vast majority of the population live in under-serviced, informal housing with little tenure security and very poor access to basic services such as water and sanitation.

The longstanding conflict contributed to weak governance and considerable urban challenges including poverty, inequality, social exclusion, youth unemployment, and gender inequality. Lack of urban planning coupled with rapid Afghanistan’s urbanization process steered by rural-urban migration plus massive flux of returning Afghan refugees from neighboring countries and internally displaced by the conflict and the drought, make Afghan cities underserviced.

However, Afghanistan’s future is urban. The population of Afghan cities is expected to double within the next 15 years and be 50% urban by 2060 and urbanization is a powerful driver for development. So far, more than 50% of the national GDP is originated in Afghan cities.

Our Vision

Our work has focused on assisting the government in the development of urban policies and regulations; strategic urban planning; increasing municipal revenue; establishing community-based organizations; addressing the land and housing needs of IDPs and returnees and contributing to the provision of basic urban services.

Our Mission

Our work has focused on assisting the government in the development of urban policies and regulations; strategic urban planning; increasing municipal revenue; establishing community-based organizations; addressing the land and housing needs of IDPs and returnees and contributing to the provision of basic urban services.

Highlighted Publications

Technical Report
Safety in Afghan Cities
Technical Report
Towards Safety for All in Public Spaces especially for Women & Girls. Kabul, Afghanistan: A public space and safety audit

Country Beneficiaries

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Gulab Khan, Shelter material beneficiary

"The UN-Habitat Shelter project had provided us windows and doors before the last winter came. Before that we were facing problems during the winter from snow and raining and during the summers from hot weather as well"

Gulab Khan, Resident in Dag-e-Tarakhail, Kabul, Afghanistan

Donors and partners

The success of UN-Habitat is dependent on the strategic and trustful relationships with the government, at the national and local level, and with the communities. With more than twenty years of impactful interventions, UN-Habitat has managed to meet the government and community needs due to the strong partnerships always driven and led by our local partners. Local ownership has always been at the center of our interventions.

Donors

United States of America
Switzerland
Norway
Netherlands
Japan
Fukuoka International Exchange Foundation

Donors

European Commission
Denmark
Australia
Afghanistan

Contact

Nathan Stroupe
Country Programmme Manager
UN-Habitat Afghanistan
UNOCA Complex Afghanistan. Jalalabad Road, Kabul
Antony Lamba
International Programmes Manager
UN-Habitat Afghanistan
UNOCA Complex Afghanistan. Jalalabad Road, Kabul